Saturday, February 13, 2010

An Evening in Seattle: Wine, Chocolate, and...France

Ferry boats come and go along with views of the Olympic Mountains, but when the sun got low on our last day in Seattle, we headed out for a night in search of food and drink.

We made our first stop at Purple cafe and wine bar where we enjoyed the view from (and of) the huge curving bar.  The tone for our night out on the town was set by flights of wine and a cheese board. Purple, with its vault-like front door and equally substantial iron bar stools, sports a huge spiral wine rack at the center of the bar. The menu offers a mix of wine-friendly bistro fair, but we keep it simple with wine and cheese. Note to self: When in Seattle again, spend more time here.

After Purple, we ventured into downtown past Seattle's angular glass central library. Fran's Chocolates on 1st Avenue caught our eye with its well-appointed windows showcasing their hand-made chocolates. A double espresso and a few dark chocolates offered a bit of energy and sweetness before we "get our French on" at Seattle's Le Pichet.

For the main event, we settled into the cozy Le Pichet. We know that we are off to a good start when our server offers us an amuse bouche of duck liver pate on toast. For starters, I thoroughly enjoyed a salad of salt cod, lentils, and escarole; Jen enjoyed some lovely grilled sardines over a salad of celery root and apple. 

My main course was a mostly rare hanger steak frites. My beefy goodness was paired with a classic bernaise and a few roasted Brussels sprouts. The fries....ohhh the fries...were perfectly crispy and golden. Jen had the local trout wrapped with thinly sliced country ham.

My green apple sorbet tasted like the fruit its flavor came from - just like biting into a perfectly sweet-tart apple. This is just what the doctor ordered after my, uh, not-so-light night of dining. Not as innovative or as sophisticated as the sorbet, the classic chocolate mousse that Jen ordered satisfied her sweet tooth and her chocolate craving. (Which had apparently come upon her again, as she had enjoyed a couple of truffles at Fran's earlier in the evening.)

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